Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said at a regular Cabinet meeting last week that before the government can outline plans to build casinos on the outlying islands, it will first have to decriminalize gambling on the islands. No decision was made on the controversial issue of construction of offshore casinos, as Liu said only that "in principle, one of the major efforts in the development of the outlying islands is the construction of the tourism industry."

Taipei, Taiwan -- Premier Liu Chao-shiuan called yesterday for legalizing casino gambling on Taiwan's offshore islands, in what some considered to be the first concrete step towards building gambling facilities on islands outside the Taiwan proper. Liu made the remarks while attending the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday. During the meeting, Hu Chung-ying, vice chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD)...

Taipei - The Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) said it is still some way from making a final decision on whether to allow the establishment of casinos, as the issue is still being studied. No decision has been made yet either in relation to the number of permits, locations and the amount of charter fees, the CEPD said in a statement made in response to local reports that the government plans to issue three casino permits in a bid to help promote tourism.

Taipei (CNA) - The government will come up within six months with a decision on whether to allow the opening of casinos, Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) Chairwoman Ho Mei-yueh said Tuesday. Ho made the remarks while fielding questions at the Legislative Yuan from main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Chao Erh-chung.